KATHMANDU, May 8: After the end of People’s Movement-II in Nepal, the then Interim Parliament declared Nepal as a nation committed to eradicating untouchability. However, Independent Dalit Civil Society activists have raised concerns over the neglect in implementing this declaration by major political parties. 

Chet Pariyar, an activist affiliated to the Independent Dalit Civil Society, highlighted the government and major political parties’ failure to uphold the inclusive state system outlined in the constitution to eliminate caste-based discrimination.

He pointed out the absence of Dalit representation in the current coalition government, including  the exclusion of Dalits from various state commissions, as evidence of this neglect. He criticized the historical trend of marginalizing Dalits in political leadership positions. He added that the Dalits were overlooked for ministerial roles after the Maoist insurgency.

Sitaram Pariyar, advocate and former chairman of the National Dalit Commission, highlighted challenges faced by Dalit youths, including incidents of violence and unjust imprisonment stemming from inter-caste love marriages.  He mentioned the filing of false charges, such as rape and child marriages, to persecute Dalits and force them out of their communities.

According to former Chairman Pariyar's analysis, the lack of a unified Dalit movement has not addressed the issue of Dalit rights. 

Pariyar mentioned the need for integration among various Dalit advocacy efforts to revitalize the movement and achieve tangible results, stating that the fragmented nature of the movement has hindered its progress despite years of struggle.

 
• Dalit
 
• untouchability
 
• People’s_Movement-II